The difference is the additional specialist training for complex paediatric conditions. All fully qualified FRACS ENT Surgeons can operate on children with common conditions such as tonsils, adenoids and ear tubes (grommets). However, Eric is the only surgeon in Melbourne who has completed an additional 2 years of Fellowship training in Paediatric ENT to hone his specialist skills. This means that Eric can perform some uncommon complex operations that a few children might need. Coupled with his Fellowship in Adult Head and Neck Surgery, Eric therefore has a unique set of skills in both Paediatric and Adult Head & Neck Surgery.

Some children and adults suffer from complex conditions that affect the airway. The human airway includes air passages from the nose to the base of the lungs. Specifically, the larynx (voice box) and trachea (windpipe) may be malformed, deformed or diseased, causing critical obstruction to breathing. This can be fatal in many cases. There are multiple common procedures to the nose, mouth and throat to improve the upper airway, and there are some very specific complex procedures that have been designed to reconstruct the larynx and trachea. Grafts from the ribs can be harvested, crafted and tailored to reconstruct and augment the framework of the larynx and trachea. The goal of surgery is to reconstruct and improve the airway to allow for normal breathing, preserving the voice.

Children and adults can suffer from Obstructive Sleep Apnoea (OSA), which is obstructed snoring with oxygen desaturations. OSA has significant cardiovascular and respiratory effects in adults, while in children OSA causes potential neurocognitive and behavioural issues. OSA is not uncommon in children and especially in those with Down Syndrome (Trisomy 21) and other Craniofacial Syndromes. Multiple procedures are available beyond a routine Adenotonsillectomy to resolve specific obstructions anywhere along the airway during sleep. We can specifically operate on the palate, pharynx (throat) or tongue to improve the airway. In a way, sleep surgery is a component of Airway Surgery.

There are multiple conditions affecting the Head and Neck region, including the thyroid, salivary glands, skin, oral conditions, neck infections, lumps and bumps. In the adult population, Head and Neck cancer refers to a heterogenous population of various kinds of cancer affecting the skin, nose, sinuses, mouth, larynx and throat. Each anatomical site may give rise to unique cancerous conditions with unique pathways of cancer spread and therefore very specific individualized treatment strategies. Children do get tumour and cancer of the Head & Neck too, which pose unique challenges to management. In addition, there are other congenital conditions that uniquely affect children such as branchial arch anomalies, vascular anomalies, lymphovascular malformation, excessive drooling, and thyroid diseases.

Facial Plastic surgery refers to any surgery that would alter the form and function of the face. All of surgery is a collision of evidence-based science and artistic craftsmanship. This is especially true in Facial Plastic Surgery. A face that has been affected by cancer, disease or trauma can be made more aesthetically pleasing for the patient. This is critical for the patient’s sense of self and quality of life. Common procedures include rhinoplasty (“nose job”) to improve the breathing and appearance of the nose, blepharoplasty (eyelid surgery) to improve the appearance of the eyes, otoplasty to correct prominent “bat” ears and other ear deformities, local and regional soft tissue flaps to alter the face. Eric is committed to the restoration of aesthetic appearance for patients whose faces have been affected by disease or trauma.

It doesn’t really matter. He goes by “Eric”. Some of his little patients call him Dr E or Mr E. He’s a medical Doctor who happens to be a Surgeon. The title ‘Mr’ is an old traditional title given to Surgeons as historically, during the Middle Ages, surgeons were not actually doctors. They did not go to medical school. They were barbers by trade. In those days the barber-surgeons with their razor blades used to lance boils, amputate legs, draw blood, pull teeth and help out with military trauma. Today you can be assured that Eric has completed medical school and undertook additional 13 years of training to be a Specialist Surgeon.

If you’re interested in learning more about your ENT Conditions, you can start at this excellent site here: ENT Health.